Heavy Duty Trucking

SEP 2014

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34 HDT • SEPTEMBER 2014 www.truckinginfo.com
to train in real life — a steer tire
blow-out, for instance, or hazardous
weather conditions.
"One thing that differentiates
simulation training from other train-
ing models is the fact that during the
exercises, the instructor can focus
solely on coaching, unlike in-vehicle
training where the safety of the
student, the instructor and other
road users is the No. 1 priority," says
Speers.
In addition, he says, simula-
tors allow for standardized
training.
"With the simulator, every
driver's experience is a common
one," Speers says. "If training
is done solely in-vehicle, one
driver's experience could involve
rain or snow, where another's
could have perfect conditions.
This makes it hard to objec-
tively gauge a driver's skill level
or instruct them."
make sense for some types
of training, which is what
UPS used in its program.
At the same time,
increased computing
power allows for more
realistic simulations, says
Mike Speers, manager of
business development for
DriveWise Canada, which
uses simulators in its train-
ing programs for fleets.
"The new image genera-
tion cards and computing
power enables for crisper,
cleaner graphics and the
ability to simulate more
complex traffic situations."
Simulation experts em-
phasize that simulators do not replace
real, behind-the-wheel, on-the-road
training. However, there are some
things simulators can do better than
the real thing.
Teaching skills
Simulators allow you to train driv-
ers on situations you can't reliably
replicate and/or are too dangerous
Deborah Lockridge • Editor in Chief
Less than a year after adding driver
simulators to supplement its extensive
driver training program, UPS saw a
38% reduction in crashes. And they
did it without using a huge full-size
truck cab simulator that takes up an
entire room.
Driving simulators have been
around for a long time. The technol-
ogy today, however, is more sophisti-
cated, takes up less space and is more
affordable.
Historically, simulation has been
used when the "cost" of failure is un-
acceptable, either in terms of lives or
equipment — the military or police,
for instance, and with high-value as-
sets such as airlines and spacecraft.
Historically, it's been a big invest-
ment, requiring a dedicated room,
proprietary hardware and software
that's complex to operate and sup-
port. Simulators used to be custom-
built for each customer, making
changes and updates expensive and
time-consuming.
"Think about if you had Apple
build you a phone as a custom proj-
ect, what that would cost," explained
Bob Davis, CEO of Virtual
Driver Interactive, during a
session at this summer's Fleet
Safety Conference. "But since
you buy it as a product, you
can take advantage of all those
economies of scale."
The same thing is happening
in the world of simulators. The
cost is dropping, the quality of
the user experience is improv-
ing, and you don't need a whole
room anymore. In fact, there
are even portable options that
Safety&Compliance
Using a simulator in your safety program
Although driving
simulators have been around for a long time, the current
technology is more sophisticated, takes up less space and more affordable.
The most common types of simulators today are
open-cab designs with a multi-screen field of
view, like this VS600M from Virage Simulation.
Today, you don't have to devote a whole room
to a full-size cab simulator, like this one at
Schneider in 2006.